A copjpora



C. W. DUNHAM.

RELAY.

PLCMION X'ILED HGV. 25. 19H5- Enteu'ed 55m'. l, 1919.

INVENTDH UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

CHARLES W. DUNHAM, 0F EDGEWOOD BOROUGI, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 THE UNION,SWITCH @c SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORA- TION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

To all whom it may concern.'

at'Edgewood borough, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments in Relays, of which the following is This invention relates to relays and more particularly to electromagnetic relays.

The chief-characteristic of this invention [resides in the provision of a relay of this "character having an adjustable member in the `magnetic circuit by means of which the reluctance of the circuit may be varied to insure proper operation of the relay under 'f' widely varying -conditions.

f-Another characteristic of the invention is -theprovision of a relay having means forJ "removably applying the windmgs or. coils "to permit the ready and convenientpinterchanging thereof, whereby windings of various vresistances may be used in accordance with specic requirements.

' A .further characteristic lresides in the vprovision of a relay in which the means for yvarying the reluctance ofthe magnetic cirthough practical, is by -embodiment which the 4cuit is employed for retaining the windings `in-'position to prevent the accidental displacement thereof.

lOthercharacteristics will appear from a consideration of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the embodiment illustrated,

no means the only' invention may assume, wherefore the invention is not con- -fined to any strict conformity with the showin of the drawings, but may be changed and modified in various particulars, so longias vsuch changes and modifications make, no material departure .from the salientfeatures of the invention.

Inthe drawings, Figure 1 is a' view showing in top plan, one form of relay embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a view showing, in side elevation, the embodiment shown in 1. Fig. 3 is a view showing, in end elevation, the right hand end of Figs. 1 and 2.

' Similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, B designates RELAY.

a base'on which is secured, by means of bolts 10, a substantially L-shaped frame C, the sam'e being formed of non-magnetic material such as brass or the like,'whereby such frame will be excluded from the magnetic specification4 o'f Letters Patent. Patented Nov` 1 g, 1919, Application led November 25, 1916. Serial No.

circuit, as will be hereinafter described. The

frame C comprises ahorizontal portion 1l and a vertical portion 12,"tlie vertical portion l2 Having extended therethrough horizontally disposed supporting studs or cores 13, av-major portion of which are disposed upon the inner side of the vertical portion, as shown. These studs 13 are formed of magnetizable material, such as soft iron and in addition to formi'n as cores for windings or coi s '13.' are of such a diameter as ceive the coils to permit the ready removal thereof whereby they may be interchanged when coils of;-di'erent resistance are required to operate the relay under certain conditions.I The coils 14 are preferably connected in series and have them erminals thereof connected to the bindinglposts 15 14. The cores to loosely resecured to one end 'of the base Bi To 'confine the coils 14 upon* the studs or cores 13 and to permit an adjustment of the permeability of the magnetic circuit,as will behereinafter described, I provide an adjusta-ble'back strap 16, which is'Qin this instance, rigidly supported upon a movable member 17, the latter bein hingedly mounted for outward swinging iidvlement upon a pintle 18, the free end of the horizontal portion 11 being formed with spaced bearing 19 to receive the pintle, as shown.

The movablemember 17 normally assumes a vertical'position under the biasing action of a spring S, the "spring,

the member 17, as at 21, while the opposite ends thereof are coiled about the pintle 1S, as at 22, and are extended to engage the horizontal portion 171 of the ,frame C. as shown, thus tensioning the intermediate portion of the spring to force the member 17 and consequently the back strap 16 into engagement with the pole faces or adjacent ends of the cores 13. This action, however, is controlled by means of transversely extending screws 23 threadedly mounted in the opposite ends of the back strap 16 in such manner as to have the points thereof engaging the ends of the cores'13. It will be apparent from supports, serve` receive the screws Q3.

this construction that b v .adjusting the screws within the back strap, the back Astrap anditsnioui'iiting will be accordingly spaced from the cores In orderto prevent'accidental movement of the screws within -the back strap, I provide the back strap 16 with a locking means Which' in this instance. a leaf spring Q4. AThe spring Uf'lias its medial portion secured between the t'iee end otI the member 17 and the back strap while Vthe opposite ends thereotl are inclined outwardly to forni the resilient arms 25. 'l`lie arms 25 have their free. ends bentoutwardly at au angle to,

provide the .locking members 26, while adjacent the locking members. the arms are foi'inedwith suitable openings which loosely The heads ot' the screws 23 have their peripheries formed with a pluralitjv ot' facets, any oneot' whichl are adapted to be engaged by the locking meinbers :'26 for preventing rotation ot' the screws. It is to be understood, howeveigtliat the screws may be turned Ato adjiistpthe hack strap 1V with relation to the cores 13 b v depressing the. arms 25 to a position parallel with respcctito the back strap, thusiiioving :the` lockingin'eii'ibeis to disengage the Y' facets. i'

A designates an armature of any suitable construction which is pivotedly mounted on an arm 28 formed 0n theivertieal.poition 12 of the frame (l, the armature'being disposed within theniagnetic field of both et the cores 13 and adapted to be actuated thereby, as will be understood. This armature is, in this instance, provided with an'insnlated contact 29 for controlling a circuit through a contact point 30, the terniinals of -the circuit beingr connected tothe binding posts 31 and tothe 4coiitact'f29and post 30, as shown.

lt will bee-vident from the foregoing description, that when the coils 14 are ener# gized, themagnetie circuit of the relayin 'cludes armature A, wires 13 and the back strap 16. Therefore, when-'the back strap is .arranged-in spaced relation tothe adjacent pole faces of thecores 13, the magnetic lines offeree ar'e"cor np'elled to traverse the air the circuitand the null on the armature will be correspondingly varied., that is to say, with a given number of ampere turnsin the relaycoils, b v increasing or decreasing the air gap, the pull exerted on the armature of` therelay .will be correspondingly decreased or increased. Thus. 'at' thei'ictuatio-n oie-"the relay is ,desired oiil \l alien supplied with 'a current of a predetermined voltage,l the back It will thert'it'ore be 'seen strap iii: i v be adjusted `to cause nani-nient of'.

the armature at this prcdeteriiiincd voltage. In the event that dili'creiit resistanccs are required, the coils ili iia v be readilj1 removed to permit. the substitution of other coils by swinging the member 1T oiit\\a rdl whercbjthe back strap will be moved to unobstructing pcsition. Thus thi` vcoils may be interchanged without disturbing the adjustment ot' the relay.

Ila'ving thus described my invention, what. I claim is: l

1. A relay comprising an clectroiiiagnet, an .ariiiatiire, a back strap adjustable with relation to the cores ot' the elcctroiiiagnct to vai-y the inagneticllux iii said cores, means ior adjusting the. positioii'ot' said back strap and i'or locking the saine i'ii adjusted position, and :i contact controlled by .sa-id arniature. i

2. Iiia rela-j', an eleetroniagnet and an :iriiiature therefor` a iiiovablo back strap,

means for adjust-ing the back strap with ie.

lation to the core oi the eleetromagiiet t0 vary themagnctic llux ot' said core, and a contact. controlled b v said armature.

25. relay comprising ai magnetic vcircuit haviiiga portion thereof pivoted'and aitranged in spaced relation to the remaining niovably support-ing said winding, the back strap being so arranged as to lock the winding upon said core when in locking position and to permit removal thereof when in releasing positioinan armature, and a contact. controlled by said armature.

5. A relay comprising 'a core,a winding removably mounted upon said core, means on one end of said core for preventing removal of said winding in one direction, a, movable iiieinbei' adjustable with relation to said core for var ving the permeability of said cone, said-nieiiiber being biased to one position-tor retaining vsaid"winding upon said coie" but capable oiL` being moved to af releasing position against tlie'action oi said biasing means to j'ieini-itf removal of said winding, an'' aifn'iature, andcontact controiled'by the armature.

(i. A relay coii'iprising an electioinagiiet having a. removable core, a support carried i by the coreaiid adapted to prevent removal of the core in one direction, a haelt strap pivoted 4to the support and biased to such a position with respect tosaid electromagnet as to prevent-removal of said core, said back strap being adjustable in :its biased position to vary the -perineability of said core, an amature controlled by said core, and a Contact governed by said armature.

7. A relay comprising an eleetromagnet having a removable core, means carried by said core for locking the same within said winding-said means being formed of permeable material and mounted for moven'ient to a releasing position to permit removal of said core, means for spacing the said means variable distances with relation to said core to vary the permeability of the core, an armature for the electromagnet, and a Contact controlled by said armature.

8.A relay comprising an eleotromaofnet having a sectional core including a fixed section and a movable section arranged in spaced relation to the -xed section, means for adjusting the movable section with respect to the ixed section to vary the distance therebetween, means for locking the movable member in adjusted position, an armature controlled `by said electromagnet, and a Contact governed by said armature.

In testimony whereof I afix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

4CHARLES W. DUNHAM.

. "Vitnesses:

A.. HERMAN WEGNER, EDWIN H. JONES. 

